$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ THE GLASS FACTORY. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
@*$;=-,,,, SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ,,,,-=;$*@
£@*$;=-,,, BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ,,,-=;$*@£
#£@*$;=-,, THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ,,-=;$*@£#
##£@*$;=-, NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ,-=;$*@£##
#£@*$;=-,, SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ,,-=;$*@£#
£@*$;=-,,, STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ,,,-=;$*@£
@*$;=-,,,, FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ,,,,-=;$*@
*$;=-,,,,, THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ,,,,,-=;$*
$;=-,,,,,, AND A GIFT SHOP. ,,,,,,-=;$
;=-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-=;
=-,,,,,,,, THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ,,,,,,,,-=
-,,,,,,,,, MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,, CONSIDERED POOR. ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,-
=-,,,,,,,, THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ,,,,,,,,-=
;=-,,,,,,, DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ,,,,,,,-=;
$;=-,,,,,, YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ,,,,,,-=;$
*$;=-,,,,, REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ,,,,,-=;$*
@*$;=-,,,, CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ,,,,-=;$*@
£@*$;=-,,, LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ,,,-=;$*@£
#£@*$;=-,, PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ,,-=;$*@£#
##£@*$;=-, SOME ARE SHATTERED. ,-=;$*@£##
#£@*$;=-,, ,,-=;$*@£#
£@*$;=-,,, THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ,,,-=;$*@£
@*$;=-,,,, A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,,,,-=;$*@
*$;=-,,,,, GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ,,,,,-=;$*
$;=-,,,,,, VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,,,,,,-=;$
;=-,,,,,,, TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ,,,,,,,-=;
=-,,,,,,,, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,,,,,,,,-=
-,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,, $$ ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, $$ $$ ,,,,,,,,,-
=-,,,,,,,, ======= $ $ ======= ,,,,,,,,-=
;=-,,,,,,, $$ $$ ,,,,,,,-=;
$;=-,,,,,, $$ ,,,,,,-=;$
*$;=-,,,,, ,,,,,-=;$*
@*$;=-,,,, I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ,,,,-=;$*@
£@*$;=-,,, OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ,,,-=;$*@£
#£@*$;=-,, OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ,,-=;$*@£#
##£@*$;=-, DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ,-=;$*@£##
#£@*$;=-,, BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ,,-=;$*@£#
£@*$;=-,,, DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ,,,-=;$*@£
@*$;=-,,,, ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ,,,,-=;$*@
*$;=-,,,,, LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ,,,,,-=;$*
$;=-,,,,,, WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ,,,,,,-=;$
;=-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-=;
=-,,,,,,,, HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ,,,,,,,,-=
-,,,,,,,,, HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,, IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ,,,,,,,,,-
=-,,,,,,,, IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ,,,,,,,,-=
;=-,,,,,,, WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ,,,,,,,-=;
$;=-,,,,,, OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ,,,,,,-=;$
*$;=-,,,,, ,,,,,-=;$*
@*$;=-,,,, THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ,,,,-=;$*@
£@*$;=-,,, HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ,,,-=;$*@£
#£@*$;=-,, LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ,,-=;$*@£#
##£@*$;=-, TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ,-=;$*@£##
#£@*$;=-,, A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ,,-=;$*@£#
£@*$;=-,,, STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ,,,-=;$*@£
@*$;=-,,,, BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ,,,,-=;$*@
*$;=-,,,,, ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ,,,,,-=;$*
$;=-,,,,,, LIT FROM BEHIND. ,,,,,,-=;$
;=-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-=;
=-,,,,,,,, I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ,,,,,,,,-=
-,,,,,,,,, THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,, WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ,,,,,,,,,-
=-,,,,,,,, ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ,,,,,,,,-=
;=-,,,,,,, AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ,,,,,,,-=;
$;=-,,,,,, OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ,,,,,,-=;$
*$;=-,,,,, ,,,,,-=;$*
@*$;=-,,,, $$ ,,,,-=;$*@
£@*$;=-,,, $$ $$ ,,,-=;$*@£
#£@*$;=-,, ======= $ $ ======= ,,-=;$*@£#
##£@*$;=-, $$ $$ ,-=;$*@£##
#£@*$;=-,, $$ ,,-=;$*@£#
£@*$;=-,,, ,,,-=;$*@£
@*$;=-,,,, MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ,,,,-=;$*@
*$;=-,,,,, STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ,,,,,-=;$*
$;=-,,,,,, IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,,,,,,-=;$
;=-,,,,,,, IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ,,,,,,,-=;
=-,,,,,,,, IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,,,,,,,,-=
-,,,,,,,,, DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,, CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ,,,,,,,,,-
=-,,,,,,,, PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ,,,,,,,,-=
;=-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-=;
$;=-,,,,,, THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ,,,,,,-=;$
*$;=-,,,,, THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ,,,,,-=;$*
@*$;=-,,,, THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ,,,,-=;$*@
£@*$;=-,,, A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ,,,-=;$*@£
#£@*$;=-,, SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ,,-=;$*@£#
##£@*$;=-, HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ,-=;$*@£##
#£@*$;=-,, SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ,,-=;$*@£#
£@*$;=-,,, THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ,,,-=;$*@£
@*$;=-,,,, IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ,,,,-=;$*@
*$;=-,,,,, CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ,,,,,-=;$*
$;=-,,,,,, ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ,,,,,,-=;$
;=-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-=;
=-,,,,,,,, THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ,,,,,,,,-=
-,,,,,,,,, WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,, CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ,,,,,,,,,-
=-,,,,,,,, FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ,,,,,,,,-=
;=-,,,,,,, BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ,,,,,,,-=;
$;=-,,,,,, DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ,,,,,,-=;$
*$;=-,,,,, TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ,,,,,-=;$*
@*$;=-,,,, DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ,,,,-=;$*@
£@*$;=-,,, FLOOR. ,,,-=;$*@£
#£@*$;=-,, ,,-=;$*@£#
##£@*$;=-, HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ,-=;$*@£##
#£@*$;=-,, KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ,,-=;$*@£#
£@*$;=-,,, LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ,,,-=;$*@£
@*$;=-,,,, WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ,,,,-=;$*@
*$;=-,,,,, PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ,,,,,-=;$*
$;=-,,,,,, HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ,,,,,,-=;$
;=-,,,,,,, THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ,,,,,,,-=;
=-,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,-=
-,,,,,,,,, I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,, WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ,,,,,,,,,-
=-,,,,,,,, WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ,,,,,,,,-=
;=-,,,,,,, THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ,,,,,,,-=;
$;=-,,,,,, VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ,,,,,,-=;$
*$;=-,,,,, BECOME STILL. ,,,,,-=;$*
@*$;=-,,,, ,,,,-=;$*@
£@*$;=-,,, $$ ,,,-=;$*@£
#£@*$;=-,, $$ $$ ,,-=;$*@£#
##£@*$;=-, ======= $ $ ======= ,-=;$*@£##
#£@*$;=-,, $$ $$ ,,-=;$*@£#
£@*$;=-,,, $$ ,,,-=;$*@£
@*$;=-,,,, ,,,,-=;$*@
*$;=-,,,,, A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ,,,,,-=;$*
$;=-,,,,,, AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ,,,,,,-=;$
;=-,,,,,,, BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ,,,,,,,-=;
=-,,,,,,,, STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,,,,,,,,-=
-,,,,,,,,, CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,, FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ,,,,,,,,,-
=-,,,,,,,, AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ,,,,,,,,-=
;=-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-=;
$;=-,,,,,, SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ,,,,,,-=;$
*$;=-,,,,, THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ,,,,,-=;$*
@*$;=-,,,, GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ,,,,-=;$*@
£@*$;=-,,, I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ,,,-=;$*@£
#£@*$;=-,, THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ,,-=;$*@£#
##£@*$;=-, ,-=;$*@£##
#£@*$;=-,, I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ,,-=;$*@£#
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$